Reds' Robert Stephenson struts heat in Futures Game

Robert Stephenson said his time playing in the Futures Game was a "no pressure situation."
The Enquirer/C. Trent Rosecrans

USA pitcher Robert Stephenson throws a pitch in the 8th inning during the All Star Futures Game at Target Field.(Photo: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports)

MINNEAPOLIS -- Robert Stephenson didn't exactly have a detailed scouting report for his one-inning appearance in the Futures Game at Target Field on Sunday – he was going out to throw some heat and make the most of his one inning of work.

Stephenson allowed a hit and struck out a batter in a scoreless eighth of the United States' 3-2 victory over the World team.

"It's a no-pressure situation, you just try to make the best of it," Stephenson said.

Stephenson hit 98 miles per hour on his second pitch of the game, the highest he recorded in the inning. He gave up a single on his next pitch before striking out Cubs prospect Javier Baez with a curveball.

Stephenson, 21, is the Reds' top prospect and one of the top pitching prospects in the game, even if his numbers so far this season don't reflect it. For Double-A Pensacola, Stephenson is 4-6 with a 3.97 ERA.

"It's frustrating, but at the same time when you look at the overall numbers, it looks bad, but I'm not too worried about it," Stephenson said "It's not about the numbers, it's about making improvements and getting better, just trying to get to the ultimate goal."

Stephenson said he's changed some of his mechanics, working on refining his delivery.

Robert Stephenson talks about his experience at the 2014 Futures Game.
The Enquirer/C. Trent Rosecrans

"It's funny how a little tiny adjustment can make such a big difference, but hopefully everything comes together and I'll be on the right track again," Stephenson said.

Stephenson's biggest enemy this year has been himself. While opponents are hitting just .216 against him, he's walked 48 batters in his 18 starts for the Blue Wahoos. Last season he walked just 35 in 22 starts between Dayton, Bakersfield and Pensacola.

"I think it's just about everything coming together and there have been days that I just haven't been able to find the zone," Stephenson said. "There were a couple of games where I had seven walks and I felt like nothing I was throwing would fall in the zone. I've been working on a lot of stuff this year, and working on my consistency. If I can find my consistency, that's what's going to separate me."

Sean Casey talks about what the 2015 All-Star Game is going to bring to Cincinnati.
The Enquirer/C. Trent Rosecrans

ON IGLESIAS: The Reds' newest Cuban addition, Raisel Iglesias, is still in Haiti waiting to complete his visa issues, so not too many people have seen him play yet.

One of those who have is Peter C. Bjarkman of BaseballdeCuba.com. The Indiana resident is one of the country's foremost experts on Cuban baseball.

Bjarkman, like much of the baseball world, is in Minneapolis for the All-Star festivities this week. Speaking to the Enquirer, Bjarkman praised Iglesias, who he has seen play internationally and in Cuba.

"I'm real high on this kid for a couple of reasons. I think he has one of the best arms of young guys to come out of Cuba, he's lanky, (has a) funky move," Bjarkman said. "He's definitely a reliever. I don't think he's a starter. I think if they try to move him in that direction, they'll have the same problem they had with Chapman. But I think maturity-wise, he's way beyond what Chapman was when he first came up. Chapman had the great arm, but this kid's got a good head on his shoulders, a great work ethic."

Bjarkman said Iglesias had become the closer for the Cuban national team, but said in Cuban baseball, the closer isn't used as a one-inning, ninth-inning-only type of pitcher.

"They tend to have one or two guys, top relievers, on each team and they'll use those guys whenever they need them," Bjarkman said.

"They'll use him for two or three innings, they'll use him for one inning to close. That's how they used him in the (World Baseball) Classic last year in Japan, he was their closer, but not just the ninth inning, but late in games when they really needed someone to bail them out."

Bjarkman says he doesn't seem him as a classic closer.

"He can thrown in the low 90s, but he's not overpowering," he said. "He's got great arm action, he's got great sense of the strike zone and control, I can see him more as a middle reliever . He's a pretty durable kid. Some of the guys that have come out there -- I wasn't all that high on Chapman -- he had a great arm, no question about that. I didn't know he would make the adjustment. There's a couple of guys I've been really high on, (White Sox first baseman Jose) Abreu, and you see what's happened there. I'm very high on Iglesias, he's got the stuff."

NO SUBSTITUTE -- Right-hander Alex Meyer found himself surrounded by the media on Sunday, as the highest profile of the Twins prospects at the Futures Game at Target Field.

However, the Greensburg, Indiana, native is used to being at the center of a crowd -- and not just on the baseball field. The Twins' No. 5 prospect according to the Baseball America Midseason Top 10, spends his offseason as a substitute teacher at Greensburg High School.

Despite being a step from the big leagues at Triple-A Rochester, Meyer expects to be back at Greensburg High School this winter, his fourth as a substitute.

"It's something I enjoy and I'll continue to do," Meyer said.

Meyer, who went to Kentucky and grew up a Reds fan, is hoping to go back to school after his playing career is done so he can teach full-time.